Anglian: Garage conversion

HeimRoller

I have to vent......and have finally found somewhere to do so!

Background: moved into our house December 2005. Discovered wife pregnant not long before we moved in. House 3 bedrooms, I have 2 kids from previous marriage......therefore extra bedroom needed! Two options:
1 - single storey garage conversion.
2 - double storey build room above garage etc.

Got a couple of companies to look at this and quote plus time scales. By far the quickest way to do it was garage conversion, we needed it before baby born (July 2006). Anglian were the only company that VERBALLY promised to meet this timescale even though they were more than £3000 more than the average, this they put down to the fact that they would Manage the project from start to end.
Deposit paid, contract signed (date not specified) and surveyor contacted to come round.
After 2 missed appointments he came round and we went to next stage, i.e. planning permission. Approved. Then silence from Anglian, no reply to emails, letters and phone calls. Finally someone replied telling me (after they had missed the deadline) that they should never have promised those dates.
I am cutting this short, but we made best part of 100 phone calls over a few months that were not returned (although the receptionists knew us without us giving our names!!!).
Because of delay I had to turn our dining/garden room into a temporary bedroom. Room had huge single glazed windows. Eldest daughter slept in here. Not a problem as weather was still warm enough to sleep in this room.
September 06 we finally had commitment from Anglian to do the work, and an offer of a cheaper price, I said that I wanted to negotiate the price and that the old contract was null and void. Later on I was told initially that I was never offered a lower price, and then that the person who did should not have done so! I constantly told them I was not prepared to accept thsi price and that they started without my approval on a price.
Work started in October, but then stopped as they did not have the right parts/windows. This meant we delayed a holiday to Bermuda and ended up cutting it short when we did go. House was, when we were away, protected by boarding over the windows. This let in rain!
Work finally completed, but I refused to accept it until the council had signed off the work (part of planning process). Anglian told me I did not need sign off, so I finally contacted the council myself. They inspected and found fault with....ceiling, walls and floor, plus they said there should be a joist above the new window, so effectively it had to be started again!
I again stated I wanted another renegotiation of the price.
Work completed, plasterer came to do the ceiling, we specified artex. He said that we couldnt have artex, we told him that was nonsense. Came back the next day and after much discussion he admitted that Anglian had told him to talk us out of it as there was no one available that knew how to do it apparently! He did it eventually! This was just before Christmas, I then spent every waking minute decorating it and making good the shoddy works such as poorly fitted skirting, smooth the walls, and fix holes in the ceiling! I missed the entire build up to my daughters first Christmas.
There are a number of other issues here as well. I have been accused of lying. I have been shouted at and bullied. I asked for the part p certificate for the electrics and was told it would be sent. We chased it frequently only to be ignored again. And then suddenly in March 07 they wanted us to pay (still no agreed price) and we received phone calls several times a day, these became more and more aggressive so I asked that all correspondence be written from there on. I then took a phone call from one of the divisional directors. I said he shuld write to me but he insisted on talking. So I asked him to record the call, he refused. He then bullied me, and later Anglian contacted me and made statements that I never actually made.
Also! In July 06, while we were still struggling to contact anyone to get the work started I received a letter telling me that one of my neighbours had just had an Anglian garage Conversion and was very pleased with the result and the service (or words to that effect). I phoned them and asked where it was so I could go and take a look, and they gave me my address! This letter went to a number of houses in the area!
I am still seeking a meeting with them face to face as I want to agree a price and compensation. I have requested it time and again and said I want a 3rd party present to witness what is said. However, rather than do this they have decided on court action to claim the money from me. They made me an offer in September last year that I declined. They have told the court that there is an offer on the table, but the terms of the one they sent me was 21 days to accept. It has expired and they have refused to send me another one saying that that one is current! How can it be?

Anyway, I am prepared to fight this in court as I have been bullied, lied about and received poor service, not to mention the stress and problems it caused my family. The garden room dropped to well below freezing in the winter when my daughter was sleeping in there and necessitated a heater being placed in the room to try to keep it warm, obviously not cost effective!

Obviopusly I also want to know what Project management I have received for the premium I paid!

Sorry for the length of this but I feel better for getting it off my chest, anyone know a good lawyer!!! :rolleyes:

Freshface

Sorry that you have had all the problems with this company, i have received the same treatment from them, i paid them in 2005, and every request to finish the work is ignored, i have FENSA and the GGF fighting for me.

But progress is extremely slow, they have shouted at me and my father, we have been called liars, they have sent out bogus debt collectors, giving false information, and delay everything in order to evade Prosecutions, every word that comes out of any of their Mouths is a lie.

I have had so many people from Anglian here dealing with this, only because they are been forced to deal with it, everyone one of them has refused to accept the problems they can clearly see, i have no idea what planet they hail from, but what has taken place here, belongs in the realms of the Bizarre.

At the end of the day things are not good at Anglian and will only get worst for them, hopefully we will have our problems solved before they go bump.

read my thread, and use it against them in Court if you have too, i don't mind you using this, i will also if you need it for evidence provide you with a recording that proves without a shadow of dout that this company is deceiving it's customers, backed up with statement from the GGF and FENSA and Building Control, and written evidence also of the bogus debt collector,

what ever they say don't believe them.
Unless you can prove without a shadow of dout with written evidence and recording that you have stated to them before doing so, you are going to have a tough time without the evidence, you have experienced the lies and the deceit first hand, you will only expect that and more in Court, so avoid it if you can, as many people have gone into Court with this Company and lost they use Barristers, and will delay and cause more agony for you, and will cost you a absolute fortune. be careful with these people, record and film as much as you can, and tell them you are doing it.
I will use your Story also if you don't mind, there are so many people out there that are experiencing this kind of thing from them, and it must be stopped. if you need the evidence drop me a line.